Stirring Memories, One Dish at a Time 👩🏻🍳🥘
Hi, I’m Julie — I’m Vietnamese, and I’ve been living in Singapore for the past 12 years!
I first joined NTFGH in 2017 as a nurse at Ward B7 Subsidised, and today, I’m part of the Medical Affairs team.
Outside of work, you’ll often find me doing something that’s close to my heart: cooking.
Growing up with a chef dad, food has always played a big part in my life. From a young age, I was surrounded by the sounds and smells of the kitchen — and the joy of eating well. Moving around often as a child, making new friends wasn’t always easy, but sharing homemade food helped me connect with people wherever I went. It became my way of building community and understanding the different cultures.
🍳 From chef’s daughter to home cook
These days, I love cooking dishes that reflect both my roots and my experiences. My go-to favourites are Vietnamese and Chinese dishes — think soupy noodles and shrimp cabbage rolls — or sometimes, just a good steak and salad. Even though I make them often, every time feels slightly different, keeping things interesting and helping me grow.
🥢 Vermicelli vibes — Grilled chicken, black fungus, and carrots with crispy Vietnamese spring rolls on the side.
🥚 Vietnamese Steamed Egg Meatloaf — Contains duck eggs, minced chicken, black fungus, salted egg & vermicelli.
🍙 A balanced bite — Asparagus and oyster mushrooms in sweet soy sauce, with Japanese rice balls.
🥩 Fusion in a bowl — Medium-rare flank steak with shimeji mushrooms, rocket salad, and rice.
🔥 Smoky & satisfying — Garlic-topped tiger prawns paired with tender flank steak.
I’ve also experimented with dishes from different cultures, such as prawn noodle soup, when I first moved to Singapore. And while I now live apart from my dad, we still cook “together” through video calls — he’ll guide me along in real time while I’m in the kitchen. It’s our way of staying connected.
The dish that reminds me of him the most is spring rolls — his shrimp spring rolls are the best. That’s something I’m still trying to perfect them!
For me, cooking is comfort. After a long day, nothing beats a warm bowl of Yong Tau Foo or some fried chicken.
I’ve also shared food with ex-colleagues who’ve become good friends over the years — it’s always special to cook for people you care about.
📸 More than colleagues — Sharing food, laughs, and memories that last.
🍞 Sweet, nutty, and handmade — A chocolatey peanut sourdough loaf baked from scratch.
One thing I’ve learned in the kitchen is that patience is key. Sometimes I follow recipes, and sometimes I freestyle — it really depends on my mood.
But one moment I’ll never forget is when I accidentally overcooked fish and filled the kitchen with smoke… I even set off the fire alarm!
I thought it was a disaster — but my sister ate it anyway and told me it was one of the best dishes I’d ever made. That turned into a surprisingly sweet (and funny) memory!
☀️ A day’s work in every bite — An American big breakfast containing sausages, smoked duck, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic black sesame bread.
Cooking reminds me that even in life’s chaos, there’s space for warmth, flavour, and connection.
Whether it’s a simple bowl of noodles or a family recipe passed down through generations, food has a way of comforting us, grounding us — and bringing us home, no matter where we are.
Story written by:
Julie Phuong
Assistant Manager
Medical Affairs, NTFGH
